Forgetting to Live
by VoiceOfAngels1
Summary: Imagine a world where Harry Potter died. Imagine a world where Ronald Weasley was made to pay. Imagine a world where Hermione Granger ran away. Imagine a world where Voldemort won.
1. Mistakes

Hermione took a deep breath determined not to think back to it. She had left that life behind now. She was no longer Hermione Granger the best witch in her year, nor Hermione Granger the muggle-born. She was now just Hermione Granger. Plain, old Hermione Granger.

She had ignored every owl that had come for her, she had thrown away all her old school books and top things off – she had snapped her wand.

She knew that she could never go back, especially not after…. She couldn't bring herself to think about it.

'Hermione, dear' her father whispered as he creaked open her room 'you've been cooped up in here for over two weeks now. What happened in that… world of yours?'

'Nothing' Hermione said bluntly 'they made a mistake that's all. I'm… I'm not longer a witch.'

Her father went and sat next to her on her bed 'love, of course you are' he said taking her hand 'you're the most magical person I know, and if you're not a witch I have no clue who would be!'

'You don't understand' Hermione muttered drawing back the tears.

'Is that evil wizard that you have told me about?' her father asked cautiously. Hermione couldn't bare to talk about it any longer.

'We lost' Hermione finally said 'we lost and that evil wizard… well… he's taken over, and because I am a mud-blood' she spat the word 'I'm first on their hit list. It's best if I pretend that I don't know what Hogwarts is or those wizards and witches are real and…'

'What about that boy you are friends with… what's his name? Harry Potter! You said he could get rid of him!' her father asked innocently interrupting Hermione mid sentence.

Hermione could hardly bare to answer any more questions. Tears started to well up In her eyes. _You must not let yourself get like this _she told herself _there is nothing you could o or could've done!_

'I you don't want to…' her father quickly said as if he had sensed how his daughter was feeling.

'No… you should know' Hermione whispered taking another deep breath. _Just say it _she told herself _once you've said it then you can forget about it and lead your life like a normal muggle. _'Well… Harry Potter.. he uh.. he died' she whispered. She suddenly felt a wait lifted off her shoulders as if saying it out loud made it better, although, it made it more real.

Hermione suddenly felt tears running down her cheeks. Her heart felt as though it might break all over again. Harry had been her best friend almost all her life and now… well… what else was there? He was dead… not only dead but murdered.

It almost felt to Hermione as though it could never have happened before. The famous Harry Potter, indestructible!

Now? Well, probably hung like a flag for all to see. An representation of the "new age" for pure-bloods. The age where pure-bloods ruled over everyone and everything.

Hermione had managed to disparate just as he-who-must-not-be-named started to gather up the fighter. She hated herself for leaving everyone. Ginny, Neville…Ron. She had no idea of what had become of them. All she could do was hide, and so she ran away to see her parents again in Australia. The moment they saw her they remembered. The spell lifted and Hermione realised with that last bit of magic lifted she need to become a full time muggle. Just like her parents.

'Love' her father finally said 'I am so sorry. I know he meant a lot to you.'

Hermione lifted her head and looked at her father 'he did' she simply said. She thought as though she could die there and then but she didn't. She knew she couldn't die because that was would be pointless. Harry had died to keep her alive and she wasn't about to dishonour him by getting herself killed.

She was going to live- for as long as she could. Get a good job would be next, perhaps a dentist like her father, then meet a nice muggle boy, settle down. No kids! She knew the magic gene was much stronger than the muggle and have witch or wizards as children would not only put her at danger but them also.

She was going to live… just not with Harry… not with Ron… not with magic… not the way she wanted.


	2. Needles

Ron screamed as the cruciatus curse hit him again. Every bone in his body felt as though they were braking again and again and his skin felt as though a million needles were piercing his skin at every exposure they could find.

'Aaaaagh!' Ron wailed 'stop! Please stop!'

He heard the bitter cackle of Alecto Carrow 'Stop?' she screeched 'poor little "weasel" wants me to stop!'

'Please…' Ron cried 'my best friend and brother are dead and my girl friend has abandoned me. Not to mention the fact that you may or may not have killed my sister! Have you not tortured me enough?'

'Oh, poor baby! However, you forgot something for your very heart warming plea' Carrow murmured in a cold and harsh voice.

Ron didn't want to ask what he had missed but he knew if he didn't she would tell him anyway 'what would that me?'

'Your mummy and daddy have gone to heaven, baby boo!' she laughed sardonically. Ron felt as though the needles had stated piercing him again… but this time in the heart. 'Oh yes! And your little sister, what was her name now? Oh yes! Jenny was it? She died to! The Dark Lord finished her off himself!'

'No!' Ron yelled 'she can't! No!' Although, Carrow just ignored his wails of despair.

'She was lucky' she said thoughtfully 'if it were me I would've made her suffer. The Dark Lord likes to finish them off quick. He doesn't have the pleasure to hear them scream…' Ron felt his chains fitted around his ankles even more than before now. He knew, if he wasn't chained down, he would've ripped Alecto carrow limb from limb by now.

'Mummy and daddy on the other hand' she continued 'well, my brother finished them off! He had the pleasure to watch as the two remaining members of the Order of the Phoenix were finished off. The last echo of Dumbledore demolished!' she cackled 'Now, let me tell you – what a scream your mother has on her.'

'Just kill me!' Ron finally yelled 'just kill me and have it over and done with! If this is life it isn't worth living.'

Carrow looked surprised and she raised her eye brow out of curiosity 'you want me to kill you? Do you?'

'Yes' Ron pleaded 'please! Just let me die.'

Carrow gave a Ron a stare like daggers 'no' she said 'I'm not going to kill you. I'm going to make it my duty to find your mudblood of a girl friend and make you watch her squirm with torture until she turns mad'

'Not Hermione' Ron whispered but Carrow heard it.

'Oh yes!' she cackled 'and don't you think it stop there. I'm going to make sure that you keep living until everyone you've ever met or loved or hated is crushed right in front of your eyes' she said turning to the door 'and I'm starting with your brother Percy…'


	3. Decisions

'Tell me where she is!' Amycus Carrow bellowed in Luna's ear.

'I don't know!' she screamed in reply 'if I knew I would've told you by now!'

'Avada…' Amycus began to say.

'No!' Luna yelled 'please don't! I can help you!'

Amycus turned to look at Draco Malfoy who stood in he corner a look of mild disgust spread across his face 'what do you think?'

'I don't think she knows where the mud-blood is' Draco muttered 'perhaps Longbottom does! I'll watch her while you try'

Amycus gave a thoughtful look before leaving the small dirty room that Luna found herself sat in.

Draco gave a desperate look at the door before kneeling down at Luna's side. 'Do you know where Hermione is?' he whispered to Luna.

'I may be loony but I'm not stupid' Luna spat at Draco 'I'm not telling you anything!'

'Luna' Draco pleaded desperately 'I may happen to be on this side but doesn't mean I like it! I hate Granger but I don't want them to do what they've done to the Weasleys and Cho! They'll torture her until she pleads for death or they'll use her like they have with George Weasley. He's gone bad… and you know what? That's so much worse!' Draco gave a sigh 'I want this to end just as much as you!'

'I'm not sure' Luna whispered. She remembered the times when she used to laugh and mess about and now she was on deaths door.

'Neville's being tortured in the next room' Draco said 'and he isn't the only one!' he took Luna's hand 'please!'

Luna decided it was her only chance of saving anyone 'why do you need to know where she is?'

'Because… if I find out first I can lead the Death Eaters on a wild goose chase' Draco said give Hermione a chance to get away. I can look after her and make sure she stays safe!'

'Why would you want to help her though?' Luna asked.

'I and Hermione' Draco began 'we haven't always been enemies. There was a time that we got along a bit… behind the whole "I hate Harry Potter" thing. Hermione used to help me revise and she was a shoulder to cry on' Draco took another breath 'but then this whole You-know-who-thing kicked up and I was forced to ignore her and not talk to her. She hated me even more than the time when she punched me in the face' Draco laughed at himself 'she was my best friend.'

Luna looked into Draco's eyes and could see that he meant every word 'she's in Australia.'

'Thank you so much, Luna!' Draco cried giving her a tight hug 'you won't regret telling me!'

Draco ran out the door and Luna could here him yelling 'the mud-blood is in Canada!' and Luna knew she had made the right decision.


	4. Brothers

Percy felt his face it the floor with an almighty thud 'aaagh!'

'Stop snivelling' Alecto Carrow yelled 'you'll have plenty of time for that in due course!'

Percy could just see his brother, Ron's, face weeping in front of him.

'I'm sorry, Percy' Ron wept.

Percy didn't know why Ron was so apologetic but he knew he was about to find out.

A second passed before Percy heard a familiar voice scream 'the mud-blood is in Canada!' just outside the door.

Alecto gave a loose smile before walking over to Ron and whispering 'did you hear that, baby-boo? Your mud-blood girlfriend has been found!'

Ron took a deep breath taking in this. _No _he thought _not Hermione!_

'You two wait here while I find out what's going on' Alecto laughed 'have one last conversation.' Alecto swept out of the room leaving the duo sniveling and weeping on the cold floor.

'What does she mean last conversation?' Percy asked innocently. Ron could hardly bring himself to tell Percy.

'She means, Percy… she means… she means that… she is going to… going to…' Ron stammered over the words.

'She's going to kill me. Isn't she?' Percy finally understood.

'I am so sorry! If I only I has kept my stupid mouth shut!' Ron sighed 'now I and George are going to be the only ones left.'

'What about Ginny?' Percy asked hopefully.

'Dead' Ron simply said. He saw Percy's eyes start to well up.

'Well, I guess it will only be you and George then' Percy said as though he was accepting his death.

'Don't you remember when we were kids though?' Ron asked 'we used to say "Weasleys united! Weasleys stand tall. Weasleys together! We'll never fall!"' Ron laughed 'Fred and George made that up!'

'Yeah, and mum thought it was cute until they kept saying it everywhere we went and developed a little tune to it to annoy everyone' Percy laughed back.

'Yeah!' Ron laughed 'almost annoying as this little rhyme they made up back at Hogwarts. "Weasley is our king!" it was so irritating!'

'Well, us Weasleys are infamous' Percy said with a smile 'forever we will be remembered!'

Then there was a moment where nothing was said. As though, a thousand words were being laughed in the silence, one moment of pure and utter brotherhood.

'Do you think this would've all been different if Harry hadn't died?' Ron asked.

'Who can say?' Percy replied 'but I tell you what. If there is going to be anyone to get rid of You-know-who now, well, it's going to be you!'

Ron gave Percy one last nervous smile before their fear returned and the door swung open.

'Hello boys' Alecto laughed 'I'm a bit busy at the moment so I thought me little helper could torture you to do death while I'm gone' Alecto said casually before exiting and in her place stepped the one person neither of the boys wanted to see.

'George?' Ron stammered 'you… you went on their side!'

'Why not?' George asked 'Fred, Ginny, mum, dad, Bill, and Charlie are all dead. What was the point on staying with the side that gets everyone killed?'

'No George!' Percy said 'this isn't you! They must have you under the Imperius curse or something!'

'You are wrong there, Percy, because despite what you think I wanted to join the Dark Lord' George said with a sly smirk 'and to be honest when I found out that I could kill that very traitor who left out family when we needed him most… well how could I refuse?'

'Because you are my brother, George!' Percy pleaded. George shook his head reluctantly before heading for the door.

Relief flooded Percy as George took the door handle.

'Thank you' Percy said but George didn't want thanks, he wanted to be left alone. George drew out his wand and barely turning around he muttered two words.

'Avada Kedavra!' and Percy took his last breath and slouched onto the ground.

Dead.


	5. Splinched

Draco lowered his head to gaze at his master's feet.

'You've done well Draco' the voice said 'and you and your family will be rewarded'

'Thank you, Lord' Draco said peering up to meet the face of the new ruler of the Wizarding World, Lord Voldemort.

'And' Voldemort continued 'I have sent the Carrows to Canada to retrieve her, she shall be most useful to me.'

Draco could hardly contain his agitation 'I am sorry, my Dark Lord, but what do are you going to do with her… uh… once you've… got her?'

Voldemort looked down to Draco and gave a low chuckle 'why, isn't obvious boy?' he laughed 'I am going to extract her memories!'

Draco suddenly went cold. He knew that they weren't going to find her but he knew if they did, they wouldn't just extract her memories… they would drain every last drop of who she was, what she done and every thought or emotion… everything gone… almost as bad as the Dementor's Kiss.

Draco tried to hide what he was feeling but he knew his fear was seeping through 'you don't care? Do you, boy?' Voldemort asked.

'No!' Draco spat out, perhaps, a tad too quickly 'no, she is just a filthy mud-blood!'

'Good…' Voldemort whispered 'because if you have ever cared for her, which will mean you were a blood-traitor, I will find out. And when I do, and I do mean _when_, I will crush you and your family like a maggot under my shoe. Do you understand?'

Draco felt terror pulsing through his veins 'I understand.'

'Then I shall be on my way to Canada to find Miss Granger' and with that Draco's master stepped into the raging fire and with a spark of green he was gone.

Draco waited a moment before sitting himself down onto a grand leather chair on the side of the room. It was surrounded with empty frames and odd, dark looking objects. He let his head fall into his hands. How could he let himself get in the mess? Had he made the right decision? Had he chosen the right side?

It was too late for that now, he decided, he had to stick to the plan which meant getting to Australia as soon as possible.

He looked at the raging fire, he had thought of using the floo networks but he knew Death Eaters were monitoring it and trying to explain why he wanted to go to Australia was not going to be easy. He was going to apparate but he wasn't the most stable and didn't fancy having one leg in Sydney and the other in London.

However, Draco decided that to fly all the way to Australia would be silly and so he had to deal with the idea of apparition.

Thinking as hard as he could on Hermione and Australia he felt is whole body lurch forward and then he felt as though he may vomit and when he thought it had worked he opened his eyes. He found himself stood in a small room with only a few chairs, a large box which showed moving photographs and a middle aged women.

'Oh my goodness!' she cried as Draco brought himself to a stand. He looked down at his body and found that he had managed to leave one of his hands behind.

'Great' Draco muttered to himself before he fell to the floor yelping with agony.

'Are you okay dear' the lady asked.

'Uh… sorry' Draco mumbled over riding the pain 'but does Hermione Granger live here?'


	6. Hermione

Hermione swung her arms around Draco as though she would never feel another person's touch again. She let herself mould into him as if they were one… then she pulled away. Ron. She loved Ron, not Draco.

'Ow!' Draco suddenly cried before Hermione noticed that Draco's hand was missing. Blood was gushing out of the stubbed arm at a rapid speed. Hermione almost felt as though she may be sick.

'Oh, what happened?' Hermione whispered as she laid him down onto the sofa.

'I came to warn you…' Draco whispered before wailing in agony.

Hermione racked her brains as to what to do. She knew the only way to fix him would to be stitching his hand back on… however; he had left his hand behind.

'Mum?' Hermione asked as she turned around 'what do I do?'

Although, Draco interrupted her 'do not worry about me! They're after you! The Dark Lord wants to at his side. He'll do anything to have you' Draco whispered hardly audible, he gave a whimper 'you need to keep moving. He'll track you down! He thinks you're in Canada at the moment, but it won't tale long for him to work out that's not the case.'

'But…' Hermione tried to say but before she could, he had disapperated – leaving only a few silver white hairs behind.

Draco reappeared in the dungeon where Luna was sat 'Malfoy?' she whimpered 'what are you doing here? What happened to your hand? Did the nargles bite it off?' Luna was finally starting to sound like her old self.

'I apparated to Australia. Warned her… splinched' Draco murmured before he finally collapsed into the floor in a pool of blood.

Luna didn't know what to do, so she just screamed at the top her lungs 'help! Please, help!' but of course no one came. These are Death Eaters she was talking about.

'Hermione Granger!' Luna yelled, hoping it would attract some attention, and it did! He-who-must-not-be-named flung the door of the cell open 'did someone…' he began to say before he noticed that Draco was on the floor. He edged into Luna's face before grabbing her by the jaw 'how dare you attack a Death Eater you blood traitor!'

'He, uh, I didn't!' Luna quickly said 'he apparated here!' Luna yelled before she realised that she had probably landed Draco in a lot of trouble.

'Why would he apparate?' you-know-who asked in his snake like tone.

'uh… maybe he was practising.' Luna mumbled… it was enough. You-know-who swept out of the room yelling for some medical help.

Luna hoped that he believed her story… but then, this was you-know-who!


	7. Sorting Song

**Sorry, it's taken so long but… here is chapter 7! I hope you are all enjoying reading this. I do not think there will be many more chapters to this. I'll just to see how this pans out. **

Ron sat in his cell looking at the dead bodies of his family. The Carrow's had tied their dead bodies up on the wall to remind him what he had done: his mum, dad, Percy, Ginny, Fred, Bill, Charlie, Fleur and Neville. All dead because of him.

Ron store at the dead face of his little sister, Ginny – (apart from the fact she was tied up by her hands and was covered in scars) she might've been sleeping.

'I'm sorry' he whispered 'I'm so, so sorry.'

The next thing he knew, the screaming spectacle of Seamus Finnigan was being dragged into the room by Crabbe Senior.

'Stop wailing!' Crabbe yelled 'it will al be over before you know it!'

'NO!' Seamus howled 'Please!'

'You're a half-blood and a blood-traitor, also you were "friends" with Harry Potter' Crabbe said showing now sign of emotion 'you will die.'

'Please' Ron whimpered 'stop this, I get it! It's my fault! It's my entire fault. If you kill me, will you spare Seamus and his family? Will you spare everyone else if I kill myself?'

'The Dark-Lord told me you might try and follow in your friends footsteps. Be brave' Crabbe said 'but I am told not to listen.'

Seamus' face turned cold as Crabbe lifted his wand 'avada kedavra!' and with that he died.

Crabbe quickly tied Seamus up against the wall using some spare rope along with the rest of the deaths that were Ron's fault.

'You had better hope they find Granger pretty soon, otherwise we'll have to move you into a bigger cell' Crabbe laughed leaving the cell.

Ron sat staring at his bleeding hands. If he could just find away to kill himself then he wouldn't have to suffer anymore. There were a few stones on the opposite side of the room but they were out of reach.

Ron hoped that he would starve to death soon but you-know-who was very adamant that Ron stayed alive. So, starving was probably out of the question.

To pass the time he began to hum a song. He couldn't remember where he heard it but he remembered at the time it had some meaning.

'So Hogwarts worked in harmony  
>For several happy years,<br>But the discord crept among us  
>Feeding on our faults and fears.<br>The Houses that, like pillars four,  
>Had once held up our school,<br>Now turned upon each other and,  
>Divided, sought to rule.'<p>

Ron soon realized it was from the Sorting Ceremony in his fifth year at Hogwarts. He ha no idea how he had remembered it but he did.

The Sorting Hat was right. From their own fighting amongst each other they had landed in hell.

'Oh, know the perils, read the signs,  
>The warning history shows,<br>For our Hogwarts is in danger  
>From external, deadly foes<br>And we must unite inside her  
>Or we'll crumble from within<br>I have told you, I have warned you..  
>Let the sorting now begin'<p>

He was too right in fact. Hogwarts was in danger, is in danger, but the foes were on the inside. The enemies had won. Ron knew now that he wasn't a soldier for the team which would come out victorious.

He was now an enemy, slowing down the revolution. Maybe, he should just give in. Maybe, he should join George and side with the Dark-Lord.


	8. Talking

**Okay… I am REALLY sorry again. I know this sounds bad but I completely forgot about "Forgetting To Live" until I got a review, from someone called "Sorcha", begging me to continue. So, here is Chapter 8.**

Draco ran into the cell where Ron was sat in tears. Only a few moments before hand they had hung the dead body of Hagrid on the wall where the other corpses of the people he loved were.

'What do you want?' Ron spat at Draco.

'I heard… well I heard that Hagrid had been killed' Draco said turning to the wall and there we was met by the giant dead body of Hagrid. His shaggy beard, his messy clothes and the sheer size of the corpse confirmed it was defiantly Hagrid.

'What would you care?' Ron asked.

'Well, I heard it was your brother, George, who did it' Draco said.

Ron said nothing and just nodded to confirm it.

'I'm so sorry' Draco said placing himself next to Ron. It hurt slightly from when he had splinched a few months before hand 'and I'm sorry about Luna too.'

'Yeah, well' Ron said 'they're not going to stop. Not until I either join you lot or they find Hermione…'

'They won't find her' Draco said.

'How come?' Ron asked staring at Draco.

'They think she's somewhere she isn't' Draco said.

It took Ron a few seconds to figure out what Draco had said before whispering 'thank you.'

'No need' Draco said standing up 'I'm surprised you haven't cracked yet though. It only took a few weeks for them to get George to join the Dark-Lord.'

'I've been seriously considering it' Ron said 'but Harry wouldn't have wanted me to give in.'

'I suppose he wouldn't have' Draco said 'and if it makes you feel any better, they killed my mother yesterday.'

Ron looked at Draco with surprise 'What? I thought she was all for the revolution.'

'Yeah, well you know when Potter was supposed to have been killed the first time' Draco said.

'Yeah?'

'Well, she lied about if he was dead or not. If she had told the truth, Potter would've died sooner and less Death-Eaters would have been buried in the after fight.'

'Oh' Ron said 'I'm sorry.'

'Don't be' Draco said 'she had it coming. I think my Aunty Bellatrix put a curse my mother during the battle afterwards when my mother accidently killed her' Draco laughed and Ron joined in. It wasn't particularly funny but Ron had been so down lately that he needed a good laugh.

'Thanks for talking to me' Ron said.

'Don't mention' Draco said 'I needed a good chat after yesterday anyway.'

Then Draco got up and left Ron to sit on his cell… alone. But this time Ron wasn't so worried- now he knew some of the bad guys were on his side.

**So, as I said last time. There will probably not be many more chapters… mainly because I am running out of ideas. Basically, if you have any ideas please put them forward because I SERIOUSLY need them. Thank you. VOA1 xoxo**


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